Challenger wins ballot-order drawing in battle of Bob Bakers

There will be no more bobbing up and down the ballot this election season in San Clemente. By luck of the draw, it's official – candidate "0 Robert 'Bob' Baker" will appear on the Nov. 6 City Council ballot ahead of candidate "1 Robert 'Bob' Baker."

San Clemente City Clerk Joanne Baade conducted a drawing of lots Thursday at City Hall – a process proscribed in the state elections code – to decide which Robert "Bob" Baker would be listed above the other on the ballot.

If incumbent Councilman Bob Baker, whose name will have a "1" next to it, was hoping to appear first among the two, the answer is "Nosiree, Bob."

Bob Baker the challenger, who will have the number "0" next to his name, won Thursday's drawing, meaning he will appear fifth on the ballot among the six candidates. Incumbent Baker will be listed sixth. The rest of the order was decided by a previous drawing in Sacramento that set a random alphabetical order for candidates on ballots statewide.

There was an element of theater Thursday as about 20 supporters of 1 Robert "Bob" Baker wore T-shirts emblazoned with the number 1. They held a banner supporting the incumbent, and when their candidate was announced as last on the ballot, they cheered nonetheless, some tooting kazoos.

During the proceedings, the two candidates stood side by side, without a word to each other. It was the first time they had met, both said afterward.

INCUMBENT'S VIEW

Outside, 1 Robert "Bob" Baker, a retired Navy and airline pilot, accused his opponent of trying to mislead voters by picking the same name he did for the ballot to cause confusion and cost him votes. When the two candidates filed with the same name, Baade allowed each to pick a number to precede his name on the ballot to differentiate between them. Councilman Baker, who filed first, picked "1," expecting to be listed first. Challenger Baker then picked "0," and city officials determined that number was acceptable.

1 Robert "Bob" Baker protested that 0 isn't really a number. When the city checked with state officials, they advised San Clemente to hold a drawing to decide the ballot order.

"I think it will definitely impact this election," Councilman Baker said Thursday. "I think the voters will be so outraged when they realized the dirty trick that's trying to be pulled on them. I think the voters of San Clemente will be outraged and I will be swept into office by a huge margin."

He said he thinks the other Baker's candidacy is designed to split the vote and help elect another candidate. "There have been some major development projects that I have opposed in town," he said. "I've ruffled some developers' feathers around here and I don't think they are very happy about that."

CHALLENGER'S VIEW

Challenger Baker, a sales representative for a fastener distribution company based in Ohio, told reporters, "I had thought zero comes before one, and I didn't realize we had to go through all this hoopla to do this."

He said he is a 47-year resident of San Clemente who believes in "responsible progress and positive progress for our community ... things that need to be done in a progressive way, without saying no."

He did not elaborate but alluded to previous statements he has made criticizing Councilman Baker's votes against a local sports hall of fame, against a handicapped restroom for the Courtney's SandCastle playground and against a lease extension for the San Clemente farmers market. "I am tired of being mistaken for that Bob Baker," he said in a previous statement.

On Thursday he rejected the incumbent's claim that he is a "sham" candidate. "I am truly running for office," he said. He added that he is neutral about development and has differences with the incumbent, "but I'm not going to elaborate at this point."